Betrayed Love
by CRAZYFORCOCONUTS
Summary: Ren has a heart breaking choice to make. Either he joins Hao's team and Horo, his true love, and Bason, his guardian ghost stay safe, or he denies Hao and they both die. Ren's choice will break hearts, no matter which one he choses.
1. Betrayed Love

This is a fic about RenxHoro (two-sided) and RenxHao (one sided) and the test of friendship and love.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters in this story.

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Ren stormed out of the door, ignoring Yoh's shout of apology, calling him back. His Kwan Dao was in his hand, Bason floating by his side, silent but worried about his master. Ren was angry, annoyed and sad. Horo had been waiting for this day to end, as had Ren, because they could have slipped into bed besides each other for at least one comfortable night. Lost in his thoughts, Ren did not realise where his feet were taking him.

"My Ren you are angry tonight." A smooth voice echoed around the empty area. Ren tightened his hand around his Kwan Dao as he recognised the voice. Stepping from the shadows came one of the reason he was in the Shaman tournament, Hao Asakura, relaxed and smiling lightly. He seemed alone but Ren knew that his guardian ghost was hiding somewhere near by. He reached out to Bason, only to find an empty space where his guardian's thoughts usually were.

"Where is Bason!" Ren snapped anger growing as Hao continued forward, arms by his sides, no signs of anger inside him. Ren backed away, hands tightening around his weapon, angry.

"Bason is gone Ren, he isn't here. The spirit of fire needed a new play thing. Play nicely and he shall be set free, make things difficult and he won't be the only one that is hurt." Hao replied, a hidden line of threat beneath the usual calm of his voice. Ren stopped backing away and glanced backwards. That was his mistake. When he turned his eyes from Hao the other jumped forward and twisted his wrists, making him drop his weapon. Pulling Ren forward onto his knees Hao did not stop there and placed a foot on Ren's back, putting pressure in the right place so Ren could not move.

"What do you want Hao?" Ren growled.

"I want you to join my team." Hao replied softly. Ren's mouth fell open in shock. Shaking his head to gather his thoughts Ren pushed Hao off with one smooth movement and stood up. He did not grab his weapon, but faced Hao anyway.

"Why would I join you Hao?" He spat. Hao smiled and advanced, snatching Ren's arms in his hands and pulling the boy close. A blush darted across Ren's cheeks as Hao forced his head backwards and looked deeply into his eyes.

"I can see your underlying desires Ren. You want the power that my side can offer. You do." Hao breathed. Ren shook his head, breaking the hypnotic eye contact.

"In your dreams Hao." He snapped.

"Oh no Ren, in yours." Hao replied smiling. Ren opened his mouth to reply when Hao sighed and walked away, pulling the Chinese boy with him, swinging his feet from the floor. He carried the boy, kicking him and cursing him, screaming at him to let go only Hao ignored the boy's requests and carried on walking. Deciding that screaming and kicking was not going to get Hao to put him down Ren fell silent and began to brood on how he could escape.

"It won't work Ren. I can see your thoughts, whatever you decide to do, I'll see it first." Hao tutted and wagged a finger. Ren scowled and looked away, anger growing more now. Hao just continued smiling, but stopped walking. Ren looked around at his surroundings and was deridingly unimpressed. It was a dense clearing, impossible to see into, where God knows what Hao intended to do to him. Hao however had no special plans as of yet, he was forming them. Ren turned away as soon as he was set to the ground and noticed the spirit of fire was toying with Bason above their heads. Fear for his spirit blossomed inside him and Ren clenched a hand in a fist, arms shaking from the effort of controlling his emotions.

"Ren, look at me." Despite himself Ren turned and looked Hao straight in his dark eyes, yellow ones full of fury.

"What is it?" He asked menacingly.

"Ren, your anger is your power, your uncle has always told you the truth and Yoh the lies. Your power could be even greater if you joined me. So why not consider it?" Hao asked, voice even and even calm. Ren rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like "Rather eat dog shit," under his breath. Hao laughed quietly.

"That can be arranged Ren." He said, waving a hand in no actually direction. He was thinking hard now. He needed to find a weakness, and he knew that a Tao was hard to break, and Ren was no exception. The boy seemed reclusive, locked away in his own shell of protectiveness, even reading his mind was hard for Hao, and he could do it fine otherwise. Ren was really unbreakable on the outside, but their must be something that made him scared, or angry enough to act stupidly.

"Are we done?" Ren asked angrily, interrupting Hao's thoughts.

"No we are not. Tell me Ren, how was your uncle wrong? And why in the world do you stay with Yoh and his idiotic band of friends, surely you do not see yourself as one of them?" Hao probed, wondering if there was one of Yoh's group that Ren was more attached to then the others.

"Ha. My uncle was wrong because since joining forces with Yoh, and defeating him, I have become stronger, now I am not ruled by anger and hatred alone. As for why I stay with them, they are…friends." Ren hesitated to admit it but he knew it was true. But he had wanted to say Horo he knew Hao would try and use that against him. No matter if he did not say it, for he thought it and Hao saw it, smiling when he realised.

"Your sister, is she travelling with you?" He asked, wanting to know whether he could get an even tighter grip.

"No." Came Ren's short reply.

"No matter, if you do not join me now, I can just focus most of my energy on taking out one particular shaman of the group first. I'm sure it would be very easy for me to do. I believe his name is Horo is it not?" Hao teased, but he had a serious, threatening tone hidden below it. He smiled when he saw Ren reacted to it. The Chinese boys eyes had gone wide and a shocked look had crossed his face. It was soon replaced by anger.

"You wouldn't dare, I would not let you." He shouted back.

"Oh I would. If you got in my way, well then, it's just a waste of a good shaman but no matter, if you don't join now you won't be a shaman much longer anyway. Poor Bason will be spirit food." As Hao spoke his words the spirit of fire tightened his grip on the Chinese warrior and his roar of pain shook Ren to the core. He had never heard Bason make such a noise, and it pained him to hear it. He was faced with an impossible choice now. If he joined Hao, then Horo and Bason would be spared, but he would undoubtedly turn out as worse as the rest of them. Horo would surely hate him if he chose to go with Hao, but that could not be helped, they all would.

But if he refused, he would have to let go of Bason, which saddened him, and Horo would be in more danger then before. Ren did not look at Hao as he felt his heart breaking. He did not want Horo to be in any danger, and he did not want to hurt Bason. But if he joined Hao then he would be the danger to Horo and the one hurting Bason. It could not be helped, whichever he chose, the two would be hurt, but at least one came out with both of them living a little longer then if he refused. His heart screamed no, run away and returned to Horo and maybe Anna could save Bason when they met her again, but his head shouted yes, agree, but strike a deal to leave Horo in Hao's shaman only world and beg him not to kill him. Ren did not know, but he felt like his head had the smartest answer.

"Okay Hao, I'll join you. But one condition." Ren choked out, tears filling his eyes as he felt his heart break.

"Oh what is that condition?" Hao asked, eyes narrowed.

"Horo. You won't hurt him, you won't hurt any of them, and when you win, they can all live in this world." Ren said determined. Hao thought about it. Though Yoh's group were all weaker now, they could be changed and Ren had a point, the more shaman the better.

"Alright Ren, you have your deal. You can leave your Kwan Dao, you won't need it. You have the sword of thunder right? Come, now we leave." Hao agreed, smiling and signalling to his spirit to drop Bason who immediately went to Ren.

"Master Ren, what are you doing?" He whispered.

"I'm doing it for you Bason, and for Horo. I love you both, and this way you can survive." Ren replied, before stepping after Hao to his new destiny.


	2. Growing Power

This is Growing Power, the second chapter of the battle for love and friendship. With Ren unwillingly on his side now Hao has more power then ever and is pleased. Ren, on the other hand, has other things on his mind.

(Implied RenxHoro and RenxHao)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters in this story.

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Even though it had only been a few short weeks Ren's power had grown so much that it soon was better then all of Hao's henchmen and nearly as good as Hao himself. Ren was controlling the anger still, and the hatred, and had shown Hao that without these things he could still be strong. Hao was proud and glad he had chosen Ren out of all of Yoh's group to target first. Luca was not so convinced. He did not think that Ren had been totally turned to their side, and he was sure that, if given the chance, Ren would return to his old group of friends. Ignoring Luca's ideas and thoughts Hao continued to teach Ren and gave him free reign of his powers on weaker shaman making their way to Patch Village. Basil, who hated anyone from Yoh's team, gave Ren the cold shoulder and complained to Hao when he had the chance to about how Ren seemed to spend time fighting them actually training to control his power.

"Patience Basil, he will learn." Hao said as they sat round a crackling fire. Ren was not there, fighting out alone. Basil sighed and waved his hand towards where Ren had disappeared.

"But if he does not train his power it will destroy him Master Hao." Basil complained.

"He is controlling it, fighting and training alone is Ren's way of controlling it." Hao replied, eyes on the fire. "It is Yoh and his group I am worried about. Since Ren left they are moving much more slowly, seemingly depressed. It annoys me."

"Maybe I could go and get them moving faster Master Hao?" Basil asked hopefully but Hao shook his head.

"They will get over it, besides; I have a very special plan for Yoh and his group." Hao smiled and looked in the direction where Ren stood, hidden in shadows.

--

"You aren't trying hard enough Bason!" Ren snapped as his spirit failed again at his test. Bason flew to his master and bent down, apologising without speaking. Ren sighed and threw his sword down, sitting on the floor and closing his eyes like meditation but Bason knew where his thoughts were.

"You are thinking of Yoh and the others Master Ren?" He asked.

"No Bason, I'm thinking of how I can become stronger. You have been thinking about them a lot haven't you Bason, you miss them." Ren sighed and opened his yellow, cat like eyes. Bason flinched, expecting the pain that did not come.

"How are things going Ren, are you stronger?" Hao's voice broke through the darkness. Ren jumped and turned to face the other shaman, eyes cold, face set. Bason had been right, he had been thinking of his once friends and the warmth of Horo's arms. He knew now that hiding anything from Hao was impossible.

"I'm working towards it, Bason is failing." Ren shot his guardian ghost a dark look. Bason grimaced and turned away.

"Well then, it seems like Bason could do with some fine tuning." Hao said and smiled, raising a hand.

"I can do it myself Hao." Ren said hotly, catching Hao's hand at the wrist. Hao looked straight into Ren's eyes and the Chinese boy froze.

"Ah…we seem to have a problem Ren. It isn't just Bason who is failing. You allow your mind to wander back to those old friends of yours. You must not; they are your enemies now. But it seems like I must help you forget." Hao sighed and reached a hand forward, seemingly placing it into Ren's mind. The Chinese shaman cried out as he felt something grasping his mind, pulling his memories. The pain was intense; Ren had to squeeze his eyes shut to stop himself from screaming and crying. When Hao finally removed his hand and Ren opened his eyes they were red and glowing, showing he was completely under Hao's control now. Hao smiled and drew the shaman close, placing a kiss on his forehead to which Ren did not resist. Hao did not do more; he had plans for later, but kept Ren close to his body. The Chinese shaman pulled himself closer still and looked up at Hao.

"Now then, let's start your real training, to destroy those enemies of yours." Hao smiled.

"Yes master." Ren replied.

--

"I don't know how you guys can stand this heat." HoroHoro complained again. They were all hot but coming from Hokkaido, a colder place then the rest, the desert heat was too much for him. Yoh and Ryo ignored him; both were looking at Lyzerg, who was still very down.

"Come on Horo, let's keep moving." Yoh said, pulling the Ainu so he walked. Yoh was tired himself, sweaty and not to mention hungry. He smiled when he thought of how, if Ren had been there, he and HoroHoro would have ended up arguing and nearly battling, it always kept them entertained. Chancing a glance at Horo Yoh realised that when Horo was not complaining or talking or messing around like he did, he was very sad. The blue haired shaman had his eyes turned to the floor, a far away look in his eyes. Leaving the rest of their friends Yoh pulled HoroHoro's sleeve so they were away from the rest.

"Are you thinking of Ren Horo?" He asked, gently placing a hand on his friends shoulder in support as they walked. Horo nodded, still looking down, his feet dragging slightly along the floor as he walked, as though every step was painful for him.

"Do you think he still thinks of us Yoh? And of Jun?" He asked suddenly, turning his eyes to Yoh quickly, seemingly full of hope. Yoh sighed, he knew as well as any of them did that Ren probably had forgotten all about them under Hao's influence, or at least did not think of them as allies and maybe even friends anymore, but the enemies that Hao saw them as. But HoroHoro needed the encouragement to carry on going when it seemed all hope was lost.

"Sure. I bet he still sleeps thinking he's gets to wake up to you in the morning." Yoh whispered. Alone of the entire group only he had known of Horo and Ren's relationship behind the scenes, behind all the arguments they had, and fights. Alone of them all Yoh could see past it all and see the two for what they really were, lovers, friends. Horo blushed and looked at his arms, free from the thick sleeves of the coat he always wore. Since Ren had gone he had not worn it, for the Chinese Shaman had like it when HoroHoro wore the coat, it was soft and warm when they embraced, the seldom times they had alone.

"I hope so. I miss him." Horo left it there and walked on ahead. Yoh stopped walking until Ryo was walking besides him now, eyes flicking between Lyzerg and HoroHoro.

"Both these guys seem pretty down master Yoh." He whispered. Yoh nodded.

"They both are Ryo. But don't worry. Thing's will look up." Yoh assured his friend although he himself for once found it hard to believe. His own thoughts wandered to Ren and he knew, almost immediately that Hao was not treating the boy as he should, but he also knew Ren was not resisting. Things could and only would get a whole lot worse.

--

"I told you he would do it Basil. Now's the time to set this young one on those he once called friends." Hao said as they sat around the fire, watching Ren complete test after test effortlessly, without even blinking.

"What shall we do Hao? Wait here for you?" Basil asked, still unbelieving of the Chinese Shaman's ability.

"Carry onto Doby Village without me, but wait for me to enter if you should reach it before we return." Hao replied, walking away from the group and taking Ren's arm, stopping his attacks.

"What?"

"It is time to go."

--


End file.
